EP0127627B1 - A method for forming a web of material and apparatus for carrying out the method - Google Patents

A method for forming a web of material and apparatus for carrying out the method Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0127627B1
EP0127627B1 EP83903236A EP83903236A EP0127627B1 EP 0127627 B1 EP0127627 B1 EP 0127627B1 EP 83903236 A EP83903236 A EP 83903236A EP 83903236 A EP83903236 A EP 83903236A EP 0127627 B1 EP0127627 B1 EP 0127627B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
stream
vessel
outlet
particles
inlet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP83903236A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0127627A1 (en
Inventor
Verner Jankevics
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mo och Domsjo AB
Original Assignee
Mo och Domsjo AB
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Mo och Domsjo AB filed Critical Mo och Domsjo AB
Publication of EP0127627A1 publication Critical patent/EP0127627A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0127627B1 publication Critical patent/EP0127627B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
    • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
    • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
    • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
    • D04H1/72—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged
    • D04H1/736—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged characterised by the apparatus for arranging fibres
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
    • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
    • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
    • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
    • D04H1/72—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
    • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
    • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
    • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
    • D04H1/72—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged
    • D04H1/732—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being randomly arranged by fluid current, e.g. air-lay
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
    • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
    • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
    • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
    • D04H1/74—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being orientated, e.g. in parallel (anisotropic fleeces)
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F13/00—Bandages or dressings; Absorbent pads
    • A61F13/15—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
    • A61F13/15577—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing
    • A61F2013/15821—Apparatus or processes for manufacturing characterized by the apparatus for manufacturing
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F13/00—Bandages or dressings; Absorbent pads
    • A61F13/15—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
    • A61F13/53—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators characterised by the absorbing medium
    • A61F2013/530131—Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators characterised by the absorbing medium being made in fibre but being not pulp

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for forming a web of material by laying particles, for example fibres, distributed in a gaseous medium, on a particle-laying surface, the stream of material comprising said gaseous medium and said particles, being injected in a tangential direction against the inner cylindrical wall of a vessel and being conducted tangentially along the inner cylindrical wall of the vessel, from an inlet to an outlet, from which outlet the particles depart to said particle-laying surface, and to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
  • the main problem of conducting such a stream of material in which stream the particles are separate from one another to at least a substantial extend, between the inlet and outlet of said vessel, is one of maintaining the density of the material flow, i.e. of preventing the stream of material from expanding or contracting while, at the same time, maintaining the velocity of the particles substantially constant. It is extremely important that the velocity of the particles is held constant, because if each individual particle is subjected to retardation forces while travelling from the inlet to the region of the outlet of said vessel, the particles will stick together and form aggregates or flocs. When the web formed on the particle-laying surface is a fibre web, these flocs will impair the fluffiness of the web and will result in an uneven product.
  • a method of laying fibres in web form onto a fibre-laying surface is known, for example, from FR-A-1 135766.
  • the stream of material is led tangentially into a cylindrical drum, in a circular path. Part of the ingoing stream of material is taken out through an outlet in the drum, while the remainder of the stream travels a full revolution and is rejoined with the ingoing stream.
  • the stream of material is greatly contracted during this circulatory movement of the stream, and there is no way of preventing the fibres from adhering to one another and forming flocs.
  • a prime object of the present invention is to provide a method of the kind described in the introduction with which the turbulent motion of the stream is maintained without slowing down the particles carried by the gaseous medium to any appreciable extent, while, at the same time, changing the motional mode of the stream of material to a helical movement mode, and an apparatus for carrying out the method.
  • the invention is primarily realized by causing the stream of material to flow at a given, selected velocity in said inlet, and, by maintaining a gaseous flow in the axial direction of said vessel, such that said stream of material is guided in a helical path to said region of said outlet, said helical path having a pitch which is selected in dependence upon the velocity in said inlet and the velocity of said axial gas flow.
  • the particles in the helically moving stream of material will be acted upon by centrifugal forces and by forces created by the central and axial air flow.
  • the gas flow in the said helical path will be so affected by the axial flow of air that its speed will remain constant, or at least substantially constant, and consequently the particles will move at a constant speed throughout the whole of the transport distance, thereby effectively preventing flocula- tion or the like.
  • the invention also relates to apparatus for carrying out the method.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a vessel 1 having an inner cylindrical wall 2 and an internal cylinder diameter 2R.
  • the vessel 1 has an inlet 3 for a stream of material 4, comprising fibres or other particles uniformly distributed in a gas stream.
  • the stream of material 4 is injected in a tangential direction against the wall 2 at a velocity V, and preferably also at an oblique angle relative to the axis of the cylinder. It is fully possible, however, to feed the stream of material tangentially in a plane extending at right angles to the cylinder axis, where upon the stream of material, unless special measures are taken, will describe circular path, as set forth in the aforementioned FR-A-1 135 766.
  • a flow of gas having velocity W is drawn by suction through the vessel 1 in the direction of the cylinder axis, through a suction opening 5.
  • This axial flow of air acts upon the gaseous vehicle of said stream of material, so that said gaseous vehicle describes a rotary movement with laminar flow along the wall 2 and imparts to the gas vortex formed a force which acts axially towards the region of the particle outlet 6.
  • the stream of material 4 is given a desired pitch L within each section of length of the cylinder, in dependence upon the velocity W of the axial air flow.
  • the velocity W is contingent upon the density of the material stream, the diameter 2R of the vessel and upon the input velocity V.
  • said material stream should have a particle concentration of 50-600 gram fibre/m 3 gas and preferably 120-360 grams fibre/m 3 gas.
  • particle concentrations in excess of 600 grams fibre/m 3 gas it is necessary to employ extremely high input velocities V, and the effect of the resultant centrifugal forces may then be so great as to cause a certain degree of flocculation in the gas layer located nearest the wall 2.
  • particle concentration of 50-600 gram fibre/m 3 gas it is possible to operate at inlet velocities of the order of 5-200 m/s, preferably 10-50m/s.
  • the outlet 6 of the vessel 1 is located above a moveable particle-laying surface 7, which is suitably gas-permeable and which is connected to a suction box 8, said suction box being connected to a source of suction (not shown) via a pipe 9.
  • a throttle valve 16 arranged in the outlet 5 and the suction force from the suction box 8 and the pitch L, and the velocity of the material stream will consequently decrease to an extent such that the fibres are moved out through the outlet 6 and laid on the fibre-laying surface 7.
  • the thickness of the stream of material which may, for example, be up to 80% of the radius of said vessel, can be adjusted by changing the velocity in the helical gas stream, which follows the wall of the vessel, and the axial air flow.
  • the width of the web is determined, for example, by the width of an injection nozzle.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates in a simple manner an apparatus for producing a uniform and homogenous layer of cellulose fibres used as absorbent material in, for example, diapers or sanitary towels.
  • Cellulose fibres are fed pneumatically from a store or a shredder 11 to, for example, a jet ejector 12, from which a stream of gas carrying mutually discrete fibres is fed through a line 13 to an acceleration nozzle 14, by means of which the stream of material 4 is injected into the vessel.
  • the vessel 1 has an air inlet 15, and said axial air flow is drawn, by means of a fan 24, through said inlet towards the suction outlet 5, said outlet 5 suitably being provided with said adjustable throttle valve 16 for regulating the axial air flow.
  • the vessel 1 is provided with an outlet pipe 17 which is arranged tangentially relative to the wall of the vessel 1 and which exhibits an outlet gap 18.
  • the outlet gap 18 extends in the axial direction of the vessel 1 and has a length which corresponds to the width of the homogenous fibre web 19, said web being laid on an endless belt 20, which is driven in the direction of the arrow shown.
  • the belt 20 suitably comprises a wire cloth having a suction box arranged therebeneath.
  • the aforementioned outlet part may be provided with any known, suitable separating means.
  • a suitable means intended for this purpose is illustrated in Figure 3.
  • a lower slightly curved surface 22 which the individual fibres follow (the Coanda effect) and a separating tongue 23, over which the fibre flocs, which have a larger mass than an individual fibre and thus greater kinetic energy, are thrown and returned, for example to the shredder 11 via a line 21, while the individual, lightweight fibres are fed to the driven belt 20 and form thereupon a uniform and fully homogenous fibre web, with the fibres lying substantially parallel to one another.
  • the stream of material is fed tangentially into the vessel.
  • this is to be preferred, it is also possible to introduce the stream of material axially, into the vessel with the aid of a vortex forming device arranged to impart a rotary movement to the gas stream carrying said fibres.
  • a vortex forming device arranged to impart a rotary movement to the gas stream carrying said fibres.
  • a further, and particularly important advantage afforded by the invention is that the fibres in the injected gaseous medium will be aligned in the direction of the helical path of said gaseous medium and will therefore have a higher degree of parallelism than fibres laid by means of known apparatus.
  • said inner surfaces are made as smooth as possible and, for example, are polished.
  • the thickness of the ingoing stream of material and its velocity, and also the pitch of the helix are regulated partly by the velocity of the injected stream and the amount of gas therein, partly by the radius of the vessel, and partly by the velocity of the axial air flow.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
  • Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
  • Spinning Methods And Devices For Manufacturing Artificial Fibers (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
  • Making Paper Articles (AREA)
  • Reverberation, Karaoke And Other Acoustics (AREA)
  • Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)
EP83903236A 1982-12-10 1983-10-14 A method for forming a web of material and apparatus for carrying out the method Expired EP0127627B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE8207097A SE434524B (sv) 1982-12-10 1982-12-10 Forfarande for att forma en materialbana samt anordning for genomforande av forfarandet
SE8207097 1982-12-10

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0127627A1 EP0127627A1 (en) 1984-12-12
EP0127627B1 true EP0127627B1 (en) 1986-08-27

Family

ID=20348969

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP83903236A Expired EP0127627B1 (en) 1982-12-10 1983-10-14 A method for forming a web of material and apparatus for carrying out the method

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0127627B1 (it)
JP (1) JPS60500018A (it)
AU (1) AU562561B2 (it)
DE (1) DE3365697D1 (it)
DK (1) DK154150C (it)
FI (1) FI78128C (it)
IT (1) IT1167592B (it)
SE (1) SE434524B (it)
WO (1) WO1984002363A1 (it)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE450256B (sv) * 1983-12-23 1987-06-15 Svenska Traeforskningsinst Sett och anordning for framstellning av skikt av torra fibrer pa en formyta
CN107447370B (zh) * 2017-09-15 2019-06-18 合肥工业大学 一种短切纤维连续取向的装置及方法
JP7268353B2 (ja) * 2018-12-28 2023-05-08 セイコーエプソン株式会社 旋回流形成装置および堆積装置

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2940133A (en) * 1950-04-14 1960-06-14 Weyerhaeuser Co Continuous deposition of dry felted structures
JPS5112486U (it) * 1974-07-16 1976-01-29
FR2510909A1 (fr) * 1981-08-06 1983-02-11 Saint Gobain Isover Procede et dispositifs pour l'amelioration de la distribution sur un organe de reception de fibres vehiculees par un courant gazeux

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE8207097D0 (sv) 1982-12-10
FI841444A0 (fi) 1984-04-11
AU2079283A (en) 1984-07-05
DK383084A (da) 1984-08-09
WO1984002363A1 (en) 1984-06-21
SE434524B (sv) 1984-07-30
DK154150C (da) 1989-03-20
SE8207097L (sv) 1984-06-11
IT8324052A0 (it) 1983-12-06
JPS60500018A (ja) 1985-01-10
AU562561B2 (en) 1987-06-11
DK383084D0 (da) 1984-08-09
FI78128C (fi) 1989-06-12
DE3365697D1 (en) 1986-10-02
IT1167592B (it) 1987-05-13
FI841444A (fi) 1984-06-11
DK154150B (da) 1988-10-17
IT8324052A1 (it) 1985-06-06
EP0127627A1 (en) 1984-12-12
FI78128B (fi) 1989-02-28

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